The Auburn University Recreation and Wellness Center wowed judges with its signature element, a crisscrossing, corkscrewing walking/jogging track believed to be the longest (at one-third of a mile) of its kind in the country.
More than one judge marveled at how designers made a long building footprint seem cohesive, with the track receiving most of the credit for this unifying effect. With its ability to offer users a variety of routes, the track ramps up, down and around activity spaces, including a two-level fitness atrium, two separate gyms and a climbing tower. The overall experience is of smaller neighborhoods of activity within a larger city grid.
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Auburn University Recreation and Wellness Center | Auburn, Ala.
The Auburn University Recreation and Wellness Center wowed judges with its signature element, a crisscrossing, corkscrewing walking/jogging track believed to be the longest (at one-third of a mile) of its kind in the country.
More than one judge marveled at how designers made a long building footprint seem cohesive, with the track receiving most of the credit for this unifying effect. With its ability to offer users a variety of routes, the track ramps up, down and around activity spaces, including a two-level fitness atrium, two separate gyms and a climbing tower. The overall experience is of smaller neighborhoods of activity within a larger city grid.
One judge, who had visited the project in person, simply stated, “The best recreation facility of the year.”
The 2014 Athletic Business® Facilities of Merit™ awards were selected by a panel of sports and recreation facility architects during two days of judging in Madison, Wis. The 10 winners are being announced during these two weeks, and profiles of all 10 will appear in the November issue ofAthletic Business. The awards will be presented to the facility owners and architects at the Athletic Business Conference & Expo in Orlando on Friday, Nov. 14.
